Paul McCartney
As a girl, I fell in love with Paul in the '60s. Heartbroken when he chose a wife, I found solace in the fact that she was an American who shared my last name. I am delighted that this romantic and sensitive soul has found someone else who can inspire his "silly love songs." Linda would be pleased.
Patricia Eastman Handler, Highland Park, Ill.

I have one thing to say to Heather Mills: You break'a his heart, I break'a your face.
Judith Oien Hancock, Tucson

How is it that when I was a Beatle-crazed teen I was too young for Paul McCartney, and now, at 44, I'm too old?
Peggy Haire, Abbotsford, B.C.

My concern about Heather Mills is on page 109: "She was always trying to come up with a get-rich-quick plan." It looks as if she finally succeeded.
Pamela Vann, Columbus, Ohio

There aren't many men (or women) who can say their marriages were good right to the end. Paul was a great husband and deserves happiness in his life again.
Jan Sapp, Crystal River, Fla.

The Youngest Victims
Thanks for the stark look at the impact of gun ownership. "We need all the facts to make an informed decision about gun control, and this was a powerful wake-up call. Powerful enough to wake up the NRA? I doubt it.
Merry Creamer, Anchorage

I wonder how the parents of Kayla Rolland and the other innocent victims in your article feel about their children being pictured with a rogues' gallery of ex-cons, drug dealers and thugs. No one in their right mind would call these characters "children," but the media has done so repeatedly. There must have been hundreds of laws broken in the commission of these people's crimes, but many will mindlessly call for more laws that will be ignored by the lawless. Thank you for illustrating that the NRA is right.
William C. Duff, Danvers, Ill.

The NRA is right: People do kill people...with guns.
Iva M. Croshaw, Bountiful, Utah

I feel it is very unfair to blame guns for what occurred in the week in question. It is a parent's responsibility to teach a child the difference between right and wrong. An 18-year-old dies from "playing" with a gun. How dumb is this? If we ban firearms, what will be the next weapon of choice—knives?
Amy Parsley, Monkton, Md.

What a gut-wrenching article. The entertainment and media industries mold impressionable young minds, and the NRA makes sure that the means for impulsive actions are available to them. As the police officer said, once the trigger is pulled, you can't take it back.
Rick Kiefer, via e-mail

As the mother of a child who attends the North Valley Jewish Community Center in Granada Hills, where a crazed gunman opened fire on innocent children and went on to kill a postal worker, I am no stranger to the effects of gun violence. There is much to be done. The Million Mom March is scheduled for Mother's Day—May 14, 2000. Mothers, stepmothers, mothers-to-be and "honorary mothers" will gather in Washington, D.C., and across the nation to call on Congress to adopt commonsense gun legislation.
Karen C. Frazin, Mission Hills, Calif.

Jayton Tidwell
When tragedies like this occur, we say, "Oh, how awful—how could this have happened?" We are enraged when circus elephants trample the audience or playful captive dolphins turn out to be not so friendly. Could it be that we should not be domesticating these animals, who are so obviously meant to remain in the wild? If I were a Bengal tiger placed in a 15 ft.-by-18-ft. cage, I might have bitten some kid's arm off too.
Susie Tofani, Camden, Maine

Erin Brockovich
As I watched the movie, I kept thinking, "I don't like this woman." After reading your article, I feel I was right. She wants to be somebody people listen to? Have her children had that same consideration from their mother? It's sad that they have problems and that she had to send them away for their own good. But I am not surprised!
Ann Stevens, Troy, Mich,

Mailbag
Jane Berne's letter about Nancy Reagan left me very upset. How does money and a Bel Air mansion make watching your husband suffer through Alzheimer's any easier? Money doesn't relieve the pain of seeing someone you love slip away.
Jennifer Kuns, Portland, Ore.

More From This Article

Correction
In "The Youngest Victims," we reported that Tayron Davis, 19, was killed by a gunshot to the head. He was shot in the back.